Locking means for threaded elements



March 29, 1938. R. T. HOSKING LOCKING MEANS FOR THREA DED EILJEIMENTSv Filed June 27, 1934 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCKING MEANS FOR THREADED ELEMENTS Application June 27, 1934, Serial No. 732,613 6 Claims. (01. 151-31) This invention relates generally to locking devices, and more particularly to devices having the nature of lock nuts, selflockin g screws, and

the like.

' One of the important objects of the invention is to provide locking devices in which the clamping surface thereof is provided with a cutting element adapted to partially sever or cut a section of material from the surface of the work against which the device is to be clamped, whereby to present an abutment which will prevent retrograde movement of the device.

More specifically, my invention contemplates a locking device, as-set forth above, wherein the cutting element, in acting upon the surface of the work piece, causes a chip or shaving element to be urged into engagement with an abutment surface to thereby secure the device against loosening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device, as set forth above, which is economical to produce, and which may be incorporated in standard nuts, screw heads, and the plates the provision, in a screw head, nut and the like, of an opening or recess adapted to accommodate metal out by an edge located in the vicinity of a surface adapted to be clamped against a work piece such as the clamping surface of a nut or screw head.

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the fol- I 'lowingdetailed description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing,

wherein Figure l discloses a locking device or nut, which is representative of one embodiment of my invention, said nut being shown in operative association with thework piece, and partially broken away to more clearly illustrate the cutting action by the nut upon the surface of the work piece;

Figure 2 'isa plan view of the locking device shown-in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a modified locking device in -'the nature of a conventional nut provided with a. cutting edge which serves to cut and urge mate rial intoan opening or'recess in the nut;

.indicatedin Figure 1.

Figure 3 after the nut has been tightened thereagainst, said nut being indicated by dotted lines;

Figure 5 is a central transverse sectional view fragmentarily disclosing a screw with a conical head equipped with a cutting element or pro- 5 jection in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 5 to more clearly illustrate the manner in which 1( the cutting edge on the conical or countersunk screw of Figure 5 functions to produce a chip or shaving within an opening of the screw head; and Figure 7 is another modified locking device constructed in accordance with the present invention, said device comprising a conventional nut provided with a cutting edge formed by slitting a margin of the nut.

- Referring now to the drawing more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seen that one embodiment of the invention includes a locking device or nut designated generally by the numeral l0 (Figure 1). tion I 2 and an annularflange II which extends beyond the outer surface of the section l2. Particular attention is directed to a cutting edge l6 provided on the underside of the flange It. In Figures 1 and 2 this cutting edge is formed byv 30 first drilling or forming an aperture I8 within the flange, said aperture being preferably inclined with respect to the axis of the nut, as clearly Swedging or otherwise i forcing a portion of the stock to one side of the aperture in an axial direction causes the edge It to be positioned as indicated. Thus when the nut l0 is tightened upon a bolt or screw 20 against the surface 22 of a work piece 24, the edge l6 actually cuts or partially severs a section 26 from the surface 22 of the work piece 24, and

simultaneously with the cutting, causes said section to beurged into the opening I8.

With the cutting edge and associated structure (as shown in Figure 1), the section 26 partakes of the nature of a-shaving or chip curled within the opening Hi. This curl or chip 26 provides an abutment to prevent retrograde or unscrewing movement of the nut Hi. In other words, the wall portion of the opening or aperture [8 (indicated by the letter A in Figure 2) presents an abutment surface which engages the section 26 and thereby prevents unscrewing of the nut l0.- Inthis manner a Venn-positive lock is provided to prevent unscrewing of the nut.

This nut is equipped with a hexagonal sec- In fact, the only manner in which the nut can be unscrewed is by exerting a force which is suflicient to completely strip or sever the section 26 from the work piece 24. The size of the chip or section 26 is sufficient to withstand all the forces normally acting upon the nut which would tend to unscrew it, and hence positively secures the nut against loosening.

In this connection it will be apparent that the invention thus far described is not limited to the particular cutting edge and aperture construction disclosed in Figure 1, but contemplates various forms of cutting edges which will function to actually sever a portion of material from the work, and cause said portion or section to be urged into a recess or opening in the nut. As evidence of other modifications contemplated by the invention, reference is made to Figure 3 wherein a nut designated generally by the numeral |0a, is disclosed. This nut is of standard hexagonal construction and is provided with a recess Ila, which corresponds functionally with the opening l8 previously described. A cutting-edge lBa,

functions when the nut is tightened against the work piece a to cause a locking section, chip or shaving 26a to be partially severed froin the work piece and forced into the opening IBa; In Figure 4 the nature of the cut or groove which is made in the work piece will be more apparent.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown the application of the invention to screw heads, and, for P poses of illustration, I have disclosed a screw designated generally by the numeral 28. This screw 28 includes a head, which I shall designate by the numeral llb because it has the same functional characteristics as the nuts l0 and la previously mentioned. The screw head lllb is of conventional conical or countersunk form and is connected with a screw body 30. A cutting edge ltb is provided along the periphery of the screw head, and as the head is tightened against a complementary surface within a work piece 24b, said cutting edge causes a curl or section 26b to be urged into an opening orrecess I8b. Thus the section 26b functions to prevent retrograde movement of the screw head lllb in the same manner as the corresponding sections 26 and 26a function to prevent retrograde movement of the nuts l0 and I M, respectively.

In Figure 7, a modified locking device is disclosed, which includes a standard hexagonal nut lllc. This nut is adapted to be screwed upon a threaded member 20c and clamped against the upper surface of a work piece 240. A cutting edge IBc serves, when the nut lllc is finally tightened against the work piece, to form a locking section or chip" 26c. This section is urged into an opening or recess lflc and thus functions to positively prevent retrograde movement of the nut llic.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that my invention contemplates various forms of locking devices, namely, nuts, bolt heads, screws, and the like, and further contemplates various forms of cutting edges or elements. That is to say, the nature of the cuttingv element is dependent somewhat upon the physical characteristic of the clamping device, and also upon the type of work piece against which said device is to be used. In other words, the invention is not limited to the specific structures disclosed herein,

' but contemplates various forms and modificaaway from the main body thereof, and to simul-- taneously cause said cut-away portion to be urged into locking relationship with an abutment surface'in the device to be locked. The invention-also contemplates various forms of apertures, openings, and the like for receiving the locking section.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the locking sections 26, 26a, 26b, and 250, while they. serve to positively insure the devices or nuts from 1 instead of actually shearing off the locking sec- Furthermore, in instancestion, said section would uncoil and thereby enable 7 it to be employed again for use as a locking element. I

The locking devices are preferably hardened;

' that is, the material from which the locking device is made, is harder than the work piece upon which the locking device operates.

Changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from-the spirit of the invention, or sac- -rificing any of the advantages thereof, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall' within the scope of the following claims. 7

Having thus described my inv'enticnwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A rotary threaded locking device having a surface adapted to be clamped against the sur-' face of a work piece, an element having a cutting edge positioned in the vicinity of said clamping surface and adapted, when the device is tightened against the work piece, to'form a coiled locking element, and an abutment surface on said device cooperatively arranged for engagement with the locking element formed in response to the action of said cutting edge whereby to prevent retrograde movement of the device. I

2. A rotary threaded locking device having a surface adapted to be, clamped against the surface of a work piece, an element having ,a cutting edge positioned in the vicinity of said clamping surface and adapted, when the device is tightened against the work piece, to form a resilient locking section by cutting into the surface of the work piece, and an abutment surface on said device cooperatively arranged for engagement with the locking element formed in response to the .action of said cutting edge whereby to prevent retrograde movement of the device.

3. A rotary fastener havinga laterally extending clamping surface adapted to engage the sur face of a work-piece, including a rotary threaded body, and a locking section on said body including an abutment section and an element having a cutting edge adapted in response to rotary tightening movement experienced by the body to cause a section of the work piece positioned laterally outward from the threaded portion of the body to be partiallysevered and-directed into locking association with said abutment section whereby to prevent loosening of the fastener.

4. A rotary fastener having-a laterally extending clamping surface adapted to engage the surface of a work piece, including an internally threaded rotary body, and a locking section on said body including an abutment section and an element having a cutting edge adapted in response to rotary tightening movement experienced by the body to cause a section of the work v piece to be partially severed and directed into locking association with said abutment section whereby to prevent loosening of the fastener.

5. 'A rotary fastener adapted to be clamped against the surface of a work piece, including a rotary threaded body having a clamping surface, and a locking section on said body including an abutment section extending inwardly of said clamping surface and an element having a cutting edge adapted in response to rotary tightening movement experienced by the body to cause a section of the work piece to be partially'severed and shifted into locking association with said abutment section whereby to prevent loosening of the fastener.

6. In a rotary fastener adapted to be clamped against the surface of a work piece, including a rotary threaded body having a clamping surface extending laterally outward from the threaded portion thereof, and a locking section on said body including an abutment section extending inward- 1y of said clamping surface and an element having a cutting edge adapted in response to rotary tightening movement experienced by the body to cause a. section of the work piece to be partially severed and shifted into locking association with said abutment section whereby to prevent loosening of the fastener.

RICHARD T. nosxmo. 

